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Chassis changes Intermecanica beetle speedster

W winnipeg550 Supporting Member

I am in the process of restoring a early model intermecanica speedster and had a crazy question to ask of the seasoned speedster owners. This car used the beetle IRS as a donor for the chassis and I was wondering if anyone had ever cut and reshaped the center tunnel to look more like the original 356's. In other words making the center tunnel more square as opposed to rounded like the beetle. With this being the main structural support for the car is this crazy idea possible. I figure if it is possible to shorten a beetle chassis this could also be possible?

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Gordon NicholsGordon NicholsMassachusetts 1993 CMC Supporting Member

Sure - Go ahead and flatten the tunnel.  You derive some of the pan strength from the tunnel, sure, but in these Speedsters you also derive a lot of strength from the solid metal frame on the periphery of the cockpit - that metal frame holding the body to the pan.  

 

Squaring the pan will work, but be aware that the original 356, while having a squared pan, also had the transmission mounted about 1-1/2" lower at the nose than the VW.  The shift rod is mounted toward the top of the tunnel in both, but when you lower the top of the VW tunnel the rear of the shift rod no linger lines up straight with the hockey stick on the transaxle so you'll need to lower the entire transmission assembly to make it all line up.

Jim KellyJim Kelly2013 SAS coupe-Fiji

It sounds as if you're concerned with appearance, not functionality.  You may want to conside adding the appropriately-sized piece of sheet metal over the existing tunnel.  Tack it in place, cover with insulation/carpet , you're done.  Won't be perfect, but pretty good considering the huge reduction in work.

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